The UK based crew enjoys their biggest showcase to date.
The ideology behind Real Gang is quite elementary. ‘Real’ – ‘genuine or non-artificial, and ‘Gang’ – a group or gathering of people. This isn’t just a concept for this compatible collective though, this is a lifestyle.
First conceived back in 2016, such harmonious energy amongst close friends organically developed into a powerful movement supported by an authentic message – be real and follow your passion.
Free-spirited and family-based, such a dedicated, back-to-basics philosophy has led this like-minded gathering to enjoy considerable success on the island this summer, most notably through their Japanese-infused residency, ‘Tomodachi’, at Ibiza Underground.
Now six parties deep into their season, such stellar efforts now brings the boys to their latest destination – ‘Day Into Night’. Their first ever open-air showcase at a venue very close to their hearts, Benimussa Park.
Renowned for hosting the beloved Ibiza party, The Zoo Project, this open-air club and amphitheatre is located on the outskirts of San Antonio. Rolling up to proceedings not long after 8pm, the venue’s space is as cavernous as ever. With such distinctive features as a pool, a restaurant and a number of scattered animal enclosures, Benimussa Park offers ample room for dancing catering to the 200 or so early arrivals perfectly.
Despite a weekend of thunderstorms and heavy rain, the Ibiza skies are as vividly colourful as ever during sunset. Founders of this tightly-woven collective, Miller and Nicolau, more commonly known together as Real Gang Soundsystem, are in charge of operations in the Treehouse.
Unleashing an austere spell of minimal across those stood before them, the Gang’s core representatives deliver their signature blend of sleek, dubby grooves much to the crowd’s delight. Humble yet hungry in their stride, their committed approach is reflected within the vast number of white, black, yellow and orange RG tees dotted around the venue.
Closing out daytime activities in the Treehouse is Romanian native, caLLy. Relatively unknown on the underground scene, the Bucharest-based artist assumes position in the booth and initiates a serene, rhythmically invigorating fusion of minimal house and techno upon the dance floor. From his gloomy floor shaker, ‘Yes no, Maybe So’, to the charmingly refined ‘Decisions’ by B2, caLLy kept dance floor spirits high throughout.
As nighttime rolled over, the sky is soon engulfed in a welcomed darkness. This prompts a shift in affairs as revellers are guided towards the Rabbit Hole, a 500-person capacity indoor club, for further dance floor debauchery. Whilst the change takes a little longer than expected, we are rewarded in kind with the mystical aura that is Christopher Ledger. Amped with technical prowess and precision, the CL Series chief implements a strong sense of emotion and fluidity. His inclusion of his limited edit of ‘Try’ is our pick of the bunch.
Sharing a similar family ethos to the one enforced by the RG crew, the appearance of long-time Fuse resident, Rossko, is very apt indeed. Taking over the controls at 1am in the more compact Rabbit Hole, the trusted London tastemaker’s consistent search for timeless, quality records illustrated his adept understanding on how to move a dance floor with his ever-evolving, slick sound.
Following on from impressive outings at both Amnesia and DC10 in recent months, man like Rossko was a smiling ball of energy as he delicately demonstrated his tight technical proficiency at the decks. Armed with straight-up grooves geared for the peak-time, his remix of Djebali’s ‘1984’ was a stand-out from a set that was dynamic and never dull.
Closing business in the Rabbit Hole was Slapfunk mainstay, Samuel Deep. Almost one month on from an epic 9th Slapfunk birthday at BRET, the label’s head-honcho advanced his way through a range of raw, stripped-back minimalistic numbers keeping dancers hooked right until the end.
From the hand-picked artists, the promotion, the distribution and the booking to the logistics, the decor, the lighting and the sound, Real Gang’s open-air special was a special culmination of originality as they stamped their own authoritative imprint on this diverse Ibiza setting.
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